


Unexpected Visitors

by cheapdate



Category: Produce X 101 - Fandom, X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, wooseok is literally a cat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25244812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheapdate/pseuds/cheapdate
Summary: Seungwoo is a struggling songwriter who finds inspiration in an unexpected visitor.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Han Seungwoo
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Unexpected Visitors

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. It's been awhile. Had this sitting in my docs for months and finally felt inspired to post it. I miss writing and I miss X1. Not sure if there's still a demand for X1 fic, but here I am! Please enjoy!

Seungwoo sat at the kitchen table tapping his pen idly against the lined sheets of paper spread out before him. They were still mostly blank - except for a light smattering of dots of blue ink from the tapping and a few wonky stars scribbled haphazardly in the margins. He was trying to concentrate, but he couldn’t seem to find a source of inspiration. His brain juggled a few lame ideas, but they all fell flat. Everything he came up with sounded too cliche or too overdone or too shallow. Nothing was sticking. Nothing was standing out.

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and looked out towards the patio. He’d opened the pocket doors earlier, letting the bright sunshine and cool breeze enter his small home uninhibited. He loved inviting nature in. It made him feel peaceful. It made him feel free. It made his living space feel bigger and more spacious. But he also knew that leaving the doors wide open could present itself as an invitation. Things other than the smell of cherry blossoms and the gentle sounds of rustling leaves could find their way inside.

As if on cue, the familiar orange and white tabby cat that had taken to visiting him during the warm afternoons appeared. She pawed her way up onto the patio step, pausing in the entrance way, as if politely waiting to be welcomed in. 

Seungwoo didn’t particularly like cats. He didn’t particularly like dogs either. He simply wasn’t a pet person in general, though he liked the idea of giving a little furry friend a warm home. Pet ownership just wasn’t for him. He was too jumpy at the slightest sign of aggression and too forgetful to be a responsible pet dad. He was also too poor at the moment to pay for food or litter or emergency vet bills. But somehow, over time, this petite purr-machine had wiggled her way not only into his house, but into his heart as well. They had an understanding. She didn’t bite him or pee on his rug or overstay her welcome and he didn’t chase her out. Sometimes, if he had any to give, he’d put out a small dish of leftover fish for her. In fact, he’d even found himself scrounging together the last remaining coins in his pocket after paying for rent and his own groceries to ensure he could pick up a can or two of tuna to keep in the pantry for her.

She wore a white collar with a single, delicate, heart-shaped tag dangling from it, but the name that had once been stamped there was mostly buffed out and worn away and so he’d taken to calling her Juhin because of her fur coloring. It definitely wasn’t the most creative name, especially for someone who made their living off of weaving together pretty words, but as far as he could tell, she seemed to like it.

“Hello, Miss Juhin,” he said with a slight head bow.

She meowed in response and stepped daintily over the door threshold and into the kitchen. She padded her way over to his chair and immediately started winding herself in between his legs, rubbing up against his ankles and looking up at him with wide, expectant green eyes.

“Sorry. I have nothing for you this week. Tough breaks this month. I’m barely getting by myself.”

She meowed in seeming disapproval and turned away, heading back towards the doorway and stretching herself out on the floor in the patch of warm sunlight that streamed through the opening.

“I said I was sorry,” Seungwoo mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck.

For the next two hours, he really put his mind to the task at hand. He was a songwriter, except that over the past few months he’d found he’d lost the ability to write songs. Admittedly, this made him pretty terrible at his job. It seemed that recently the words had lost their magic and the music had lost its lustre. Everything he tried to string together sounded forced or empty or cringey. Anyone could write a song for people to listen to, but Seungwoo felt that true talent was being able to write a song for people to feel. Unfortunately, he wasn’t feeling much of anything these days besides tired, hungry and uninspired. His brain felt numb and dull. He was in a rut, and if he didn’t pull himself out of it soon, he was going to end up on the streets.

But still, he kept at it. He’d scribble a few words down on the paper and then cross the room to his keyboard where he’d pluck out a few notes, all while Juhin’s glassy, green eyes followed him back and forth. He was really starting to get frustrated when a sudden crack of thunder sent both him and the cat leaping into the air in surprise. He doubled over, clutching his chest dramatically and trying to catch his breath while Juhin skittered away in terror, squeezing herself into the small space between the refrigerator and the sink. 

Glancing out through the open patio doors, Seungwoo could see that the sky had turned black and the bright sunshine was now completely obscured by ominous dark clouds. The smell of flowers had been replaced by the earthy scent of impending rain.

“Yah! Juhin! You better get home before you get caught in this storm.”

She stared at him, unmoving, sitting like a little toasted loaf in the small crevice between the sink and fridge.

“Come on! You gotta go!” he pleaded, motioning out the door. “I have to close up!”

She closed her eyes and slowly turned her head away, pointedly ignoring his demands.

Though Seungwoo had definitely warmed to her and was much more comfortable with this cat than he’d ever been with any other, he still wasn’t about to try and physically drag her out. Though she’d never come at him with her teeth or claws, he’d never made any sudden or aggressive movements towards her either. It was a part of their mutual understanding. He wasn’t sure how she’d respond to being grabbed and forcibly removied. He wasn’t about to find out.

Another crack of thunder cut through the air as a warning and then the steady pitter-patter of heavy drops followed in it’s echo. Seungwoo sighed as he walked across the kitchen and slid the pocket doors closed before the rain got in.

“So this is how it’s gonna be?” he said over his shoulder, watching Juhin cautiously step her way out from her safe space. “We’re waiting it out together then?”

The storm had distracted him from the pathetic amount of writing he’d managed to get done, so he decided to call it a day as far as work was concerned. He set out a bowl of water for Juhin and retrieved a sad left-over half of a turkey sandwich from the refrigerator for himself. He picked off a few loose bits of turkey and tossed them to the cat, who quickly licked them up. Seungwoo was still hungry when he finished the small meal and he knew from experience that the best way to fend off the lingering empty feeling in his stomach was to take a nap.

With a sigh, he crossed the small space to the living room area and laid down on the creaky couch. He shifted his weight, trying to find a comfortable position where the springs didn’t dig painfully into his back and shoulder blades. Eventually, he gave up, yanking a knitted quilt off the back of the couch and pulling it over the length of his long body. As he was settling in, Juhin unexpectedly hopped up onto his chest, startling him.

“Yah!” He gasped then shook his head, trying to catch his breath as he watched the cat tuck itself into a ball, still perched atop him. “Since when are we like this, eh?”

He had to admit, she made him feel warm and more relaxed somehow, so with a defeated sigh, he simply closed his eyes and focused on the steady sound of the rain while he waited to drift off.

Seungwoo wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a sudden cracking sound tore him out of sleep. He shifted around stiffly on the couch and blinked his eyes open, immediately meeting the narrowed green ones of Juhin who was clearly annoyed at having been disturbed as well.

“Just thunder, I think,” Seungwoo mumbled, but as soon as the words left his mouth, the sound came again. This time, however, he clearly identified it as a knock at his door.

Seungwoo rarely got visitors aside from when the landlord showed up to collect the month’s rent. But that had already happened two weeks ago, so he had no idea who could possibly be on his doorstep now, especially in the middle of a storm. Most likely, it was some desperate solicitor trying to peddle him something he couldn’t afford.

Slowly, he sat up; using gravity instead of his hands to gently ease Juhin off of his chest. She meowed lazily in protest before hopping off him and onto the arm of the couch, glaring at him as he got to his feet.

“Hey! Don’t look at me like that,” Seungwoo said, pointing a finger at her as he hurried over to the door.

He didn’t hesitate to pull it open, wanting nothing more than to quickly send whoever it was back on their way and return to his nap, but he was surprised to find a very wet man standing there clutching an open can of tuna.

“H-Hi,” the man said, his teeth chattering lightly from the cold. “I’m sorry to bother you. I was wondering if you’ve possibly seen my cat? He’s orange and wh-”

“Oh!” Understanding immediately struck Seungwoo and he quickly took a step back, welcoming the man inside. “Hey, yeah, come on in!”

The man looked surprised, but he took a tentative step over the threshold and into Seungwoo’s home.

“I’m sorry. I’m pretty wet-” He grinned as he started to apologize, but the sentiment was cut off as he caught sight of the cat. He practically leapt out of his sopping sneakers and then darted into Seungwoo’s living room.

“Wooseokie!!!” 

He dropped to his knees and picked up the small cat, hugging it close and nuzzling his face into the orange and white fur of its neck.

“Wooseokie?” Seungwoo echoed quietly as he came up behind them, eyeing the way the stranger was currently dripping all over his rug. “So Juhin... is your cat?”

“Juhin?” 

The stranger placed the cat and the can of tuna down on the floor and glanced up at Seungwoo with wide, curious eyes. It was then that Seungwoo realized how handsome he was. His eyes were warm and kind. His shaggy dark hair was drenched and matted against his forehead in a way that was oddly attractive. His wet clothes hung tight against his lean, fit frame, extenuating the curves of his muscled torso.

Feeling strangely flustered, Seungwoo cleared his throat and forced his gaze towards the cat, who was now greedily lapping up chunks of tuna from the can.

“Your cat… she visits me sometimes when the weather is nice. I didn’t know her name so I started calling her Juhin.”

“She? Wooseokie is a boy.”

“A... boy?” Seungwoo repeated incredulously, squinting down at the cat. “I… I didn’t know. I just assumed…”

“It’s okay,” the stranger said with a small, warm laugh. He pushed himself to his feet and turned towards Seungwoo. “I’m just glad he wasn’t caught out in the storm. He always makes his way home before the rain starts so I worried. But it’s nice to find out where he’s been spending some of his afternoons. Thank you for taking care of my little buddy.”

“Uh, yeah, no problem,” Seungwoo said, shifting awkwardly on his feet.

The stranger spoke with such sincerity and enthusiasm that it made his heart feel funny. He idly rubbed at his chest with one fist.

“I’m Seungyoun, by the way. I live a few blocks over.”

The stranger grinned wider and stuck out a hand. Seungwoo leaned forward, fumbling to shake it, realizing he probably should’ve introduced himself a lot earlier.

“Seungwoo. I live… here,” he finished dumbly, wincing inwardly at his own awkwardness. He could swear the cat looked up from the can of tuna just to snicker at him.

They released hands and then he watched as Seungyoun glanced around the room, his eyes seeming to linger and light up when they swept over the keyboard in the corner. But, Seungwoo was also suddenly painfully cognizant of the current state of his home. It was a humble abode to begin with and in this moment he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually tidied up. He glanced around sheepishly, now hyper-aware of the thin layer of dust coating most of the flat surfaces, the clothes draped off the backs of the chairs in the kitchen and the waste bin overflowing with crumpled up sheets of discarded notebook paper. Embarrassment crept up his cheeks, warm shame settling there as he moved to block a rip in the arm of the sofa from view with his body.

“Can I get you some tea?” Seungwoo asked, tugging at the frayed hem of his t-shirt. He didn’t have much to offer in his barren kitchen, but at the very least he always had a kettle and some jasmine tea at the ready.

“Thank you, but...” Seungyoun shivered and gestured at his soaked clothes. “We should get going. Wooseokie especially has more than overstayed his welcome.” He smiled and reached down to pick up the cat and the empty can of tuna.

“Right, of course. You must be uncomfortable and cold.” 

Seungwoo wondered if it would be weird to offer someone he’d just met a change of dry clothes and quickly decided yes. It would be. He also wasn’t quite sure what of his small wardrobe was actually clean. So instead, with a strange pit of disappointment sinking into his stomach, he led his two guests to the door.

Seungyoun stepped back into his wet sneakers, cringing when they audibly squished beneath his socks, then he turned and offered Seungwoo a bright smile that was so big it made the edges of his eyes crinkle playfully.

“Thanks again for looking out for Wooseokie. It’s good to know he’s made a friend in the neighborhood.”

Seungyoun again offered his hand and Seungwoo easily accepted the shake, but then he unexpectedly held out the cat’s paw in the same gesture and Seungwoo found himself hesitating. Contact always happened on the cat’s terms - whether it was rubbing up against his legs or brushing against his hand while he tried to write. It was part of their unspoken agreement. But Seungyoun was standing there expectantly and Seungwoo found it too endearing to reject. 

Slowly, he extended his hand, gently grabbing the furry paw between the tips of two fingers and giving it the tiniest of shakes. But when the cat innocently dipped his head to give them a curious sniff, Seungwoo reflexively jumped backward, clearly startled.

Seungyoun tried valiantly to stifle a laugh, clearly amused, but his face was scrunched up with the obvious effort, giving him away. He bit his bottom lip as he tried to compose himself and then kissed the top of the cat’s head.

“It was nice meeting you, Seungwoo.” 

Seungwoo wanted to express the same sentiment, but the words lodged in his throat as Seungyoun pulled up the bottom of his shirt suddenly, exposing his flat, toned stomach. Seungwoo swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump, but he seemed unable to formulate any cognizant thoughts, let alone say them out loud.

He quietly watched as Seungyoun easily tucked the cat into the fabric of his t-shirt, creating a makeshift pouch to block the rain as he stepped out onto the front stoop. He gave Seungwoo a small salute and a final nod, still wearing a wide, boyish grin, before turning and quickly jogging down the walkway and then disappearing into the grey storm.

Seungwoo hesitated in the doorway, watching the steady drops plop against the concrete. Absentmindedly, he found himself rubbing his knuckles against his chest again, trying to clear the dull aching that throbbed deep within. He felt strange and he wondered if maybe he’d somehow actually gotten attached to Juhin and was already missing his presence.

 _Wooseokie_ , he reminded himself. What an odd name for a cat.

As he closed the door and stepped back inside, he had to admit it felt a lot more lonely now. He wasn’t used to the bizarre sense of longing that had settled in the bottom of his stomach. It was just the whisper of a feeling - barely there, but there all the same.

He found himself wandering over to the kitchen table and picking up his pen.

He didn’t even bother sitting down. He simply hunched over the table, scribbling words across the empty sheets of paper while subconsciously trying to pin down exactly what he was feeling. He’d filled up two and a half pages when another knock at the door caused him to freeze.

One unannounced visitor had been an unexpected surprise, but a second was a completely unheard of abnormality. And considering he’d just been in the midst of a writing breakthrough, he felt annoyed more than anything else. He stomped his way over to the door with a frustrated huff.

Scowling, he yanked it open, but his expression almost immediately softened into surprise as he regarded the familiar visitor. 

_Seungyoun._

Except this time, he was dressed in a set of warm, dry clothes, holding a red umbrella above his head with one hand and clutching a white paper bag in the other.

“I was wondering if maybe I could still take you up on that tea,” he said with a smile, lifting the bag up into view. “I brought cream buns.”


End file.
